أَلِيَّةٌ

[A falling short; or a falling short of what is requisite, or what one ought to do; or a flagging, or remissness; and slowness, or tardiness:] a subst. from أَلَا as signifying قَصَّرَ and أَلِيَّةً. (M.) Hence the prov., (M,) إِلَّا حَضِيَّةً فَلَا أَلِيَّةً, i. e. If I be not in favour, and high estimation, I will not cease seeking, and labouring, and wearying myself, to become so: (M, K: *) or if thou fail of good fortune in that which thou seekest, fall not short, or flag not, or be not remiss, in showing love, or affection, to men; may-be thou wilt attain somewhat of that which thou wishest: originally relating to a woman who becomes displeasing to her husband: (S in article حظو:) it is one of the proverbs of women: one says, if I be not in favour, and high estimation, with my husband, I will not fall short, or flag, or be remiss, in that which may render me so, by betaking myself to that which he loveth: (T and TA in article حظو:) Meyd says that the two nouns are in the accusative case because the implied meaning is إِلَّا أَكُنْ حَظِيَّةً فَلَا أَكُنْ أَلِيَّةً; the latter noun being [according to him] for ↓ الِيَةٌ, for which it may be put for the sake of conformity [with the former]; and the former having the signification of the pass. particle n. of أَحْظَى, or that of the particle n. of حَظِىَ [or حَظِيَتْ]. (Har p. 78.)

-A2- An oath; (T, S, M, Mgh, K;) as also ↓ أَلِيَّا (M, K) and ↓ أَلْوَةٌ (T, S, M, K) and ↓ أُلْوَةً and ↓ إِلِيوَةٌ: (S, M, K: [in the CK, والاُلُوَّةُ مُثَلَّثَةً is erroneously put for والِأَلْوَةُ مثلّثةً:]) it is [originally أَلِيوَةٌ,] of the measure فَعِيلَةٌ: (S:) plural أَلَايَا. (S, Mgh.) A poet says, (namely, Kutheiyir, TA,)

قَلِيلُا الأَلَايَا حَافِظٌ لِيَمِينِهِ

وَإِنْ سَبَقَتْ مِنْهُ الأَلِيَّةُ بَرَّتِ

[A person of few oaths, who keeps his oath from being uttered on ordinary or mean occasions; but if the oath has proceeded from him at any former time, or hastily, it proves true]: (S, TA:) or, as IKh relates it, قَلِيلُ الإِلَاءِ; meaning, he says, قَلِيلُ الإيلَاءِ; the ى being suppressed: see 4. (TA.)